


Duty Unto Death

by inej_ghafa



Series: The Mask is Fading [3]
Category: An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-18 18:17:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17585888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inej_ghafa/pseuds/inej_ghafa
Summary: The Empress has managed to get into Delphinium. Will Helene be able to stop her and save everyone she loves?





	Duty Unto Death

Dex hunches over the map, his knuckles white against the hardwood table. 

 

“She has to be somewhere!” he exclaims exasperatedly. “But the question is where - Keris could be anywhere in the bleeding Empire!” He slams the table with his palm and then starts pacing wildly back and forth. The Blood Shrike watches him with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Not anywhere, Dex.” Helene pushes off the cupboard she has been leaning against and strides across the cobbled stone floor to the table. The map in front of her shows the Empire, with red lines crossing all over it. Dex stops and watches her carefully. “She’s coming here.” She stabs her finger down to the top, right where Delphinium is.

 

Dex’s brow furrows in concern. “How can you be sure?”

 

Helene sighs. “The new Empress”, she spits out the word distastefully, “is, unfortunately, anything but stupid. She will want to eliminate all who threaten her as quickly and cleanly as possible. That would be me, the heir and his mother.” Her lips whiten in worry as she thinks of the threat on her nephew and sister’s lives. But she can’t do any good worrying. All she can do is protect them; something she very fiercely intends on doing.

 

“But why come after you herself? That would be a waste when she could spend time in the capital solidifying her position.” He folds his arms.

 

“Revenge, of course.” People do not know the depth of Keris’ hatred for her or her single minded resolve to destroy Helene. “Plus I think she’s fleeing the current situation in Navium. The jinn have been unforgiving, to Scholars and Martials alike.” A grim smile forms on her face. Fortunately, the jinn haven’t wrecked too much havoc among Helene’s small resistance and friends yet, but only time will tell of their destruction.

 

“If you say so.” Dex still sounds doubtful. Just then she hears footsteps on the flagstones, getting steadily louder. Through the door runs Harper, drawing to a halt when he sees them.

 

“She's here,” he says.

 

Helene locks eyes with her startled lieutenant. “Right on time.”

 

\---

 

The Blood Shrike strides off down the corridor purposefully. She feels a twinge of nervousness in her stomach. What would Keris try on her? Helene is almost certain she knows what the Empress will do next, but the bit of her that is uncertain shrouds her mind in doubt. 

 

She is almost at the meeting hall when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning quickly she sees Avitas running after her. 

 

“Harper” she says sharply as he approaches her. “What are you doing? This isn't part of the plan.”

 

“Hel-Shrike” he corrects as she gives him a warning look, wary of the guards behind her situated at the door. “This is too dangerous you can't do this alone.” His face is pained under his mask, and she longs to reach for him. But she needs to keep up the facade. 

 

“But I must.” Her eyes soften, face displaying the emotions she longs to say. “Go. Do your part of the plan. I should likely see you in a few bells time.”

 

He nods swiftly, then turns and leaves. She knows all too well that a quick departure will spare some of the pain of parting. 

 

Then Helene schools her expression and continues on to the meeting hall. The guards at the door give her a wary look. She strides forward and flings the large doors open. 

 

Inside Keris Veturia sits splayed on the Emperor's throne, a cruel smirk on her face. Guards, Helene’s supposedly loyal guards, are arrayed around her. Traitors, Helene thinks. Only a fool would accept this tyrant as the real Empress. 

 

“Blood Shrike! Glad you could join us” she calls out, blue eyes as hard as ice. “I came to check up on you, ensure that you are doing my will up here in the North. After all, you haven't sworn fealty to me yet.”

 

Yet. I will not swear fealty to you in a million years you bitch, Helene thinks. She raises a silver eyebrow. “I am loyal to the true heir to the throne, Zacharias Farrar. I only serve him.”

 

Keris’ smirk turns colder and she swings out of her chair, her boots hitting the tiles with a thunk. She gets up and paces her way towards Helene slowly. 

 

“Did you hear that guards? The Blood Shrike you serve, Helene Aquilla, is not loyal to her one and true Empress.” She gets to Helene and places a finger under her chin, tilting her head up. “Look at that pathetic, mask less face. She is not fit to serve as second in command to the empire.”

 

Helene sucks in and spits in Keris’ face. She hears gasps from those gathered. The Blood Shrike is supposed to be loyal to the Empire. Keris’ face turns to stone. 

 

“Guards, seize her!” Helene doesn't bother to struggle as the guards come up and grab her. She could take them down whenever she wants, and besides this is all part of her plan. Keris waves her hand around dramatically. “Now have your heard from your dear “Emperor” and sister lately? Because I have. They send their love.”

 

Helene’s blood runs cold. She can't have captured them… could she? They had a plan. She prayed that Avitas was away seeing it was done. But then out of the corner of her eye she saw him standing behind a pillar, peeking out. If she had felt fear before it was nothing like this. Her eyes implored him to get out of there. He looked like he was about to kill, rage in his eyes and worry for her. 

 

“And they also expressed their wishes for you to be there when they… Well I'm sure you'll find out soon anyway! Unless you would like to retract your words from earlier?” Keris’ eyes hold a challenge. 

 

“Duty unto death, Commandant.” She says, addressing Keris by her former title. But her words aren't for the now white lipped Empress, but for Avitas, her Avitas, who she looks at now and urges with her eyes to run. 

 

“Take her away” Keris snaps, striding off. The guards pull her away from the meeting room, and to who knows where. Helene feels her breaths grow shorter and tries not to panic. This wasn't part of the plan. Whatever Keris is scheming, she hopes she can handle it. 

 

Just before she is dragged out she sees Avitas one last time. “Helene” he mouths “I lo-”. But his words are cut off as the doors slam closed. 

 

Helene worries herself over what he was trying to say, barely noticing where they are going. It must have been important if he was waiting in danger to say it. Maybe it was ‘I lost Zac and Livia and I'm sorry’? Or maybe he was trying to say ‘I locked the door as you asked, don't worry’. Whatever it was she couldn't figure it out as a rag was held to her mouth and her world turned black. 

 

\---

 

In the now empty meeting area Avitas Harper stood as the door slammed shut, the words ‘I love you’ dying on his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel a little evil with that ending... But don't worry there's more story to come!


End file.
